The Afghan Women's Soccer Team's Incredible Escape From Kabul
The Lead
Wondery
3.9 • 2.2K Ratings
🗓️ 30 August 2021
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
With the Taliban returning to power in Afghanistan, many groups have been fearful of retribution, including the Afghan Women's National Soccer Team, which has long been a symbol of defiance to the ultra-conservative Islamic group. Last week, against all odds (and amidst the chaos at the Kabul airport), the players and their family members managed to make it out of the country alive. Today, we have the inside story of their incredible escape, which included secret communications, beatings by the Taliban, and wading through a canal filled with sewage water -- and how teamwork ultimately helped them survive.
Here are links to some of the organizations working to help the team:
Girl Power - https://www.girlpowerorg.com/
Human Right For All - https://www.hr4a.com.au/
Centre For Sport And Human Rights - https://www.sporthumanrights.org/
FIFPRO - https://www.fifpro.org/en
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey, prime members, you can listen to the lead ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the app today. |
| 0:07.0 | Hi there, Wondry listeners. Hannah and Sruti here from TrueCram Podcast Redhanded. |
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| 0:31.0 | It's a weekly show where we deep dive into the most talked about cases like the Delphi murders, |
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| 0:40.0 | Go listen to Redhanded right now on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 0:46.0 | Before we start, just a warning that this episode contains discussions of physical and sexual violence. |
| 1:00.0 | Over the last few weeks, the world has watched as hundreds of thousands of people have desperately tried to flee Afghanistan. |
| 1:07.0 | People are literally clinging on to US military aircraft as they try to take off. |
| 1:13.0 | As the final days of evacuation continue, thousands throw on the airport every day, hoping to get evacuated. |
| 1:21.0 | There's been a suicide bombing, a carpool airport in Afghanistan where crowds were gathered in the hope of getting on to one of the last flights to escape Taliban rule. |
| 1:31.0 | Many Afghans have not been able to make it out, but one group that has is the Afghan Women's National Soccer Team. |
| 1:38.0 | Today, the inside story of their escape. |
| 1:43.0 | They endured gunfire and, you know, rounds napping over their head, and some of them were beat by the Taliban. |
| 1:50.0 | They have their phone stolen and they had to wait at sewer water across the canal to get to the gate. |
| 1:55.0 | The things that they endured are, I don't even have words for them. |
| 2:00.0 | And what comes next for the women and girls left behind? |
| 2:04.0 | From Wondering in the Athletic, I'm Tiffany Oshinsky. It's Monday, August 30th, and this is The Lead. |
| 2:16.0 | So, Anders, today we have a story that's a bit different than what we usually do on the show. |
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